


Poisoned

by warblegarble



Category: Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Illnesses, Palladium Poisoning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-07-26
Updated: 2012-10-27
Packaged: 2017-11-10 19:37:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/469913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/warblegarble/pseuds/warblegarble
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set between Iron Man 1 and Iron Man 2. What if Pepper found out about the palladium poisoning at the same time Tony did? Pepper/Tony towards the end.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fluke

**Author's Note:**

> Have a lot of this story written out on paper, so will try to update regularly. Well, at least until I reach the point where I need to write more. Please comment and bookmark if you like it. I always appreciate constructive feedback.  
> -S

     Miss Pepper Potts closed the front door to Tony Stark’s Malibu mansion with her foot, fingers flying over the keyboard of her phone. It was about 4 months after Obidiah Stane tried to kill Tony. The company still had a lot of issues to work out after Obidiah’s ‘sudden death’, plus Tony revealing he was Ironman, and the upcoming Stark Expo. Hence Pepper working on a saturday. She headed up to Tony’s bedroom to forcefully wake him up per usual. She just hoped he was wearing boxers. She flung open the door to find an empty bed, the sheets strewn about on the floor.

     “Tony?” she called, wondering if he was in the bathroom. No answer.

     “Mr. Stark is downstairs in his shop.” Pepper glanced at the clock on her phone: 8:07am.

     “Jarvis, did Tony sleep last night?” she asked worriedly. Tony had just started to sleep well again, finally recovered from the PTSD of both Afghanistan and Obidiah.

     “Mr. Stark slept in his bedroom from 12:31am to 5:21am, at which point he began working in his workshop.”

     “What woke him up?” Pepper asked as she headed down the stairs to Tony’s shop.

     “Mr. Stark was told me not to inform you, Ms. Potts.” Pepper entered the workshop to the sound of AC/DC playing. She spotted Tony sitting on the floor, tinkering with a boot from his suit while simultaneously yelling at Dummy for knocking something over. Jarvis automatically lowered the music volume as Pepper approached.

     “Jarvis, what the f- oh hi, Pepper,” Tony said as she moved into his field of vision.

     “What are you doing up so early?” she asks as he begins to solder two wires together.

     He shrugs noncommittally. “Why are you here on a Saturday? Miss me?” She glares at his smirk. “I am trying to run your company while _you_ sit down here and fool with your suit.” She groans. “Why couldn’t you just have stuck to the cards.”

     He frowns at her, tucking a flathead screwdriver behind his right ear. “Pepper, you should know by now that I don’t play by the rules. Besides, the cat’s already out of the bag.”

     Pepper rolls her eyes at him. “I am going back upstairs to work. Do you need anything?” He shakes his head, already immersed in the boot again.

     She is almost to the door when she hears his sharp intake of breath. She turns around to see him standing with his hands on a worktop, his eyes closed, taking carefully measured breaths.

    "Tony-?" she starts to ask.

    His eyes fly open and he bolts over to the sink, retching into it. Pepper rushes over and rubs his back, knowing from experience that it helps.

    "Jarvis, please give me Tony's vitals," she asks over Tony's retching.

    "Mr. Stark has a core temperature of 97 degrees Fahrenheit, his blood pressure is 130/79, and a pulse of 125 beats per minute, which is not alarming due to state that he currently is in."

    Tony's vomiting ends after a few minutes. Pepper guides him to his desk chair, plops a plastic bowl in front of him just in case, and instructs Jarvis to clean the sink.

    "I take it this is what woke you this morning?" she asks as she stands next to Tony, still rubbing his back. He raises his bloodshot eyes and gives a tiny nod.

    "Jarvis, can you run a full scan on Tony?"

    "Already done, Miss Potts. Mr. Stark appears to be in perfect health, except for the mild dehydration due to the vomiting. I recommend an injection of Zofran to aid in the relief of Mr. Stark's nausea."  
    A cabinet near the sink opens, and Pepper walks over to find a tiny syringe filled with a clear fluid, an alcohol swab, and a bandaid. Pepper just shakes her head as she grabs the items. She's been working here for 13 years and Jarvis still manages to baffle her.

   She gives Tony the injection. He just winces, eyes closed. Some of his color is coming back, which Pepper takes as a good sign.

   "Tony, did you drink last night?"

   He opens his eyes and mouth, before slamming his mouth shut again, losing some color in the process.

   "Jarvis?"

   "Mr. Stark had half a beer with his pizza last night for dinner."  
   "Is it possible that Tony has food poisoning?"

   "That is a probable conclusion, Miss Potts. I suggest going to retrieve Mr. Stark some Gatorade to help him rehydrate and replenish the electrolytes that he lost."  
   She glances at Tony, who is now playing with the computers on his desk.  
   "Will you be okay if I go to the store?"  
   "Yeah," he replies, glancing up at her. "Thanks."

 

   When Pepper returns, she finds Tony splayed out on the living room cough watching CSI. One hand is absently tapping on the arc reactor through his shirt, a habit he doesn't even know he has. She notes that the bowl is sitting on the table, still empty.  
   "Hey Pep," he says as she strolls in, handing him a bottle of blue Gatorade. He breaks the seal and takes a sip.

   "How're you feeling?" she asks.

   "Better, but..." He waves his hand in the direction of the bowl.

   Pepper nods. "I'll be working in the kitchen. Holler if you need me."  
   He nods, attention already back on the TV.

   The next day, Tony is back to normal. Pepper decides that the whole event was just a fluke.


	2. Well, shit.

                The next time it happens, Tony and Pepper are sitting in a relatively boring finance meeting a few weeks later. Pepper even managed to get Tony there on time (she threatened to have Happy smash one of Tony’s beloved cars with a sledge hammer). Half an hour into a three hour meeting, Pepper’s phone vibrates. Setting her papers down, she sees that it’s a message from Tony. The message is one word: **Help**. Instantly, her eyes flick up to look across the room at Tony. At first glance, he appears to be fooling around on his phone. But on closer inspection, she realizes that he is quite pale, and trying to take deep breaths.

                “Excuse me, Mr. Barnes, but Mr. Stark has been called away to check on an issue with the arc reactor.”

                The man just nods, used to Tony not paying attention anyway, and Pepper guides Tony out of the conference room. Up close, Pepper can see him swallowing convulsively. She hurries him to the nearest bathroom, allowing him to sprint inside.

                She dials Happy. “Hey Happy, can you pull the car around?”

                “What did he do this time?” Happy is used to Tony getting kicked out of meetings.

                “Nothing, we’ll be out in a few. Oh, and if you can find an empty plastic bag, that would be great.”

                Hanging up before Happy can ask, Pepper slips into the men’s room, locking it behind her. Tony sits with his back to the wall, his ragged breathing echoing thought the one person bathroom. He wipes his mouth on the sleeve of his suit jacket.

                “I have Happy waiting outside, plastic bag at the ready. Think you’re done for now?”

                He shrugs, but manages to wobble to his feet and flush. Pepper pokes her head out of the bathroom first to make sure that the coast is clear. She steps out first, quickly followed but what she calls ‘PR Tony’. His sunglasses cover his eyes and an eyes smile graces his face. As they walk to the front door, he shoots a grin at the receptionist, who flushes. Pepper hates ‘PR Tony’.

                He keeps up the act until they reach the car. He casually takes the plastic bag from Happy as he climbs into the backseat. As soon as the everyone is in the car and the doors are closed, Tony drops the act. He immediately begins to retch, bent double over the bag. Pepper removes the sunglasses and rubs his back, glancing up to meet Happy’s worried eyes in the rearview mirror.

                 With her free hand, Pepper pulls out her phone and texts Jarvis. The first time she had done this, she had felt kind of stupid, texting a house. But Tony made it perfectly clear that Jarvis was not just a house, and that he could be trusted. Pepper texted Jarvis: **Tony’s sick again**. The response was almost instantaneous: **Master bedroom, Miss Potts**.

                Tony had reduced himself to dry heaves by the time they pulled into the mansion driveway. Pepper and Happy helped Tony up to the master bedroom.

                “Jarvis, vitals,” she called out as she waved Happy away, helping Tony loosen his tie and unbutton his shirt.

                “Temperature of 96.3 degrees, blood pressure 132/81, heart rate 115. Sir, I have a suggestion.”

                Tony flopped on the bed in just his screen tee and kakis. “Shoot,” he replied, voice gravelly.

                “I’d look to do a blood test. I have a suspicion about something.”  
                Tony quirked his head up at the ceiling. “Jarvis, what aren’t you telling me?”

                Pepper could have sworn Jarvis sounded hesitant. “I would rather not discuss the matter until after I acquire the results.”

                Tony sighed, then grabbed the lancet that was sitting on the bedside table. With a tiny hiss, Pepper watched a Tony pricked his finger and dropped a tiny drop of blood onto the slide that is sticking out of the wall. It is sucked in and they wait.

                Pepper sits down on the bed next to Tony and hands him a Zofran tablet, which he promptly stick under his tongue.

                “How’re you feeling?” she asks.

                Tony groans. “Like I’ve had my stomach turned inside out. I wish my body would just chill the fuck out. I haven’t had a drink in 2 weeks, simply because I’m nauseous ALL. THE. TIME. This is only the second time I’ve actually gotten sick. Had several close calls, though.”

                “Why didn’t you tell me?”

                Tony sighs. “You worry too much. You have so much on your plate that I figured I shouldn’t worry you more. Plus, I’m a big boy. I can take care of myself.”

                Pepper rolls her eyes at that last part. “You wouldn’t last a week without me. But seriously Tony, I might seem like a hard-ass PA, but I do care about you.”

                He grins at her, a grin that only she and Rhodey ever see. “Yeah, I know.”

                A grumble of static sounded from the ceiling. Pepper could have sworn that Jarvis just cleared his non-existent throat.

                “Sir, the blood test results are in.”

                Tony stiffened. “And?”

                “It’s the arc reactor.”


	3. Breakdown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter features what seems like a slightly OOC Tony. It is my opinion that Tony only shows deeper, rawer feelings around Pepper because she doesn't judge him and knows the "true" him.

_“It’s the arc reactor.”_

Tony paled, those words echoing in his head. “What’s wrong with it?”

“It appears that the palladium from the core has leeched into your cells. There is neutron damage to the palladium cartridge. I’m sorry sir.”

Tony’s head drops into his hands.

“Jarvis, what does this mean?” Pepper asks.

“It means that the device keeping Mr. Stark alive is also killing him. Poisoning him, to be precise.”

She hears Tony let out a choked sob and immediately pulls him into a hug. She can feel his tears soaking through the fabric covering her shoulder.

“Is there anything that can help?”

“Consuming a mixture of chlorophyll and water should aid in slowing down the progress and reducing the symptoms. The palladium cartridges will have to be changed frequently. But a substitute core must be found.”

Tony made to stand up, probably to head to his shop, but Pepper pulls him closer.

“Tomorrow, Tony. Tonight, you should rest.”

“Stay?”His voice sounds utterly lost and broken.

“Stay,” she replies, and holds him while he cries himself to sleep.

 

Pepper wake to a room full of a blue glow and shrieking. It was a noise that Pepper hadn’t heard in months, and had hoped that she’d never have hear again. She bolts out of the chair she was sleeping in and grabs Tony’s shoulders, trying to shake him from the nightmare.

“Tony! Tony, you’re having a nightmare! Wake up!”

His eyes fly open, roaming wildly until they settle on Pepper’s face. His right hand moves up to touch the arc reactor.

“Pepper?”

“Yes, Tony, it’s me. You were having a nightmare.”

He sags back into his mattress. “Oh.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Both hands now lie on the reactor. “No.”

She figured as much, but she always asked just in case. “Okay. I’m going to sleep in my room.”

“Pepper?” he asks as she opens the bedroom door.

“Hm?”

“Thanks.”

 

The next day is thankfully a Saturday, so Pepper lets Tony sleep in. By the time Tony stumbles down the stairs, Pepper has showered, gotten dressed, eaten, and, with the help of Jarvis, made a glass of the chlorophyll drink for Tony. He starts to walk towards the stairs to his workshop.

“Tony, eat first!” she calls, startling him.

His hand flies to his chest. “Jesus, Pepper! Warn a guy, will ya?”

She rolls her eyes as he wanders over and plops down at the island. She sets an omelette and the chlorophyll drink in front of him.

He wrinkles his nose at the glass. “What the heck is this stuff?”

“That’s the chlorophyll drink that Jarvis suggested. He helped me make it.”

Tony’s expression clouds over. “Oh. Right.” He takes a sip. “Well, at least it doesn’t taste too bad. What’s in it?”

“You probably do not wish to know, sir.”

“Good point. Thanks Jarvis.”

“Always a pleasure, sir.”

Pepper watches him east as she sips her coffee. “So what’s the plan?”

“I research a new core and try not to die.”

“Do you want me to schedule you some days off?”

He shakes his head. “I don’t want anyone to suspect anything. I want as few people to know about this as possible.”

“What about Happy and Rhodey?”

“Happy, yes. Rhodey, no. Rhodey couldn’t keep a secret if his life depended on it. As for Happy, can you tell him?” He flutters his eyelashes at her.

Despite the situation, she can’t help but roll her eyes. “Fine. I’ll be up here working.”

Pepper watches as he scurries down the stairs to the basement, then grabs her purse and keys.

“Jarvis?”

“Yes, Miss Potts?”

“I’m going to the store and my apartment. Let me know if Tony’s health worsens.”

“Yes, Miss Potts.”

 

Pepper returns 3 hours later with a suitcase full of clothes and toiletries and several bags of groceries. She figured that she should probably move into the guest bedroom Tony had dubbed hers. Tony was a very capable guy, but when he was working on a new project, he tended to forget to do things just as eat, sleep, and go to the bathroom.

“Welcome back, Miss Potts.”

She smiles as she puts away the groceries and pulls out ingredients for a sandwich. “Thanks, Jarvis. How is Tony?”

“Mr. Stark is the same healthwise, although he is becoming increasingly agitated. I suggest providing a distraction before he starts destroying things.”

“Thanks, Jarvis.”

Pepper heads downstairs to find Tony sitting at his desk. Five holoscreens hover in front of him, but his attention is directed at what appears to be his father’s old cigar box. Pepper gently sets the plate of food in front of Tony.

“Hey, Pepper,” he says, looking up.

“Eat,” she says.

He moves to open the cigar box. Inside were several palladium cartridges. As Pepper watches, Tony reaches under his navy blue screen tee, unlocks the arc reactor, and removes it from his chest. As he sets the reactor on his desk, it ejects it palladium cartridge, which is smoking.

“What happened to it?” she asks as he removes the singed one and switches it with a fresh one from the cigar box. He reaches under his shirt again and locks the reactor back into place.

“It’s neutron damage. A little bit is to be expected, but now it’s starting to burn out my cartridges. Jarvis thinks the acceleration is due to the suit.”

Pepper pushes the plate under his nose. “Eat.”

He rolls his eyes, but picks up the sandwich. “Yes, mom.”

Pepper glances around at the hovering screens. They are littered with a multitude of data, lots of numbers, and words she doesn’t recognize.

“Any progress?” she asks as he crams the last of the sandwich into his mouth.

Tony reaches into his jeans pocket and pulls out what looks like a glucometer with the Stark Industries logo on it. He pricks his finger on the tiny needle, hissing at the pain. On the screen of the device, words appear: **Blood Toxicity 4.6%**.

“This little device that I made will help me monitor my blood tox levels. That’s about all I’ve gotten done today.” He grimaces.

“It’s only the first day of research. You’ll figure it out.”

He smiles a slightly sad smile. “I hope you’re right.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A glucometer is a device used to test blood sugar levels in diabetics.


	4. Opening Ceremonies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry i've been lax about updating. Another story has taken most of my attention and a link to that (a Sherlock fic) is here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/475077/chapters/824046. Please continue to give kudos and feedback. ~Stef

                For the next two months, Tony and Pepper fell into a routine. Pepper woke at 6:30am, showered, and set Jarvis to wake Tony while she got dressed and made breakfast. Tony would stumble down the stairs in slacks and an unbuttoned silk shirt around 7:15, chugging the coffee Pepper handed him like he was parched. After forcing Tony to both eat and finish getting dressed, Happy would pick them up at 8. The mornings and afternoons were spent in the office enduring meetings about the Stark Expo. At 5pm, they would arrive back at the house. Pepper would force Tony to eat before he disappeared downstairs to work on finding a cure. Pepper would drag him to bed around 11pm. And then it would start all over again the next morning. By the time the opening of the Stark Expo rolled around, Pepper was almost glad for a change in pace. Both she and Tony were exhausted, him from trying to save his life and her from trying to run it.

            Pepper tried to talk Tony out of dropping out of a plane in the suit to make his grand entrance to the opening ceremony, but Tony insisted. So Pepper currently finds herself backstage, holding a bottle of chlorophyll and watching the slutty “Ironettes” dance to AC/DC’s “Shoot to Thrill”. Pepper can hear the fireworks above the dome. Tony is probably midflight.

            Her phone suddenly buzzed. It’s a text from ‘Ironman’ (Tony set up a verbal text message system in the suit): **Threw up in suit. Filtration cleaned it up. Can still give speech. Have bag and meds ready.**

Pepper shows the text to Happy just as Tony lands heavily on the stage. Happy points to the airsick bag hidden in his jacket pocket and passes her a Zofran tablet. Pepper turns to watch as Tony’s suit is removed by robotic arms embedded into the stage. Tony has a wide grin on his face and seems totally in his element. Pepper isn’t sure how he is capable of this, this almost split personality. She deems herself luckt to know the Tony that rarely anyone sees.

Tony finishes off his speech and a video of his late father Howard begins to play. There is a noticeable change in Tony’s demeanor as he walks towards Pepper and Happy. It’s as if the Tony on stage just…dissolved, leaving this wan and ill looking man behind.

Happy handed the bad to Tony, who just tucked it into his pocket.

“I’m feeling a bit better,” he says, although he accepts the Zofran. He sticks it in his mouth as he tests his blood tox levels. He scowls at the read out of 19%. He rubs the bridge of his nose while Pepper resists making an ‘I told you so’ face at him. He knew that using the suit would raise his levels, yet he did it anyways.

“Come on, let’s get this over with. I wanna go home.”

As they walk towards the door leading outside, Pepper sees him pull on that grin again. She hates it.

As they were leaving, Tony was served a subpoena to appear before the Armed Service Committee the following morning. So four hours later, Pepper found herself sitting on a bed in a Washington D.C. hotel room. Tony was currently showering, and Happy was next door in his own room. Already dressed in her PJs (thank God she chose to bring her suitcase), she waits for Tony to finish so she can sleep. They have to be up in 6 short hours.

Pepper hears the shower shut off. Moments later, Tony appears in the bathroom doorway, clad only in a pair of low slung pajama pants. Pepper’s mouth drops open, but not because of Tony’s state of attire. Pepper rarely saw Tony’s bare chest, but now she gasped as she saw the dark lines on Tony’s chest, expanding out from the arc reactor like a macabre checker board.

Tony noticed her gaze, his eyes dropping to his chest. A look of both understanding and embarrassment crosses his face, and all he can bring himself to say is “Oh.”

“Is that from the palladium poisoning?” Pepper asks, belatedly thinking that that was a stupid question.

Tony just nods, throwing himself face down on the bed next to Pepper’s. She hears his muffled ‘oof’.

“Does it hurt?”

Tony turns his head to look at her. “A little. I’ve kinda gotten used to them.”

Several minutes later, Tony is snoring softly, still laying on top of his sheets. The blue glow that is seeping out from underneath him is reassuring and soothing.

 


	5. Close Call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that its been a while since a post for this story. I have been working on my Sherlock series, "Lost and Found". Please go check out my latest story in that series, "Life with Sherlock".
> 
> P.S. - Iron Man 3 trailer came out today. Looks wicked! I can't wait until April!!!!
> 
> ~Stef

Several weeks later, Pepper walks down to the workshop to find Tony standing with his shirt pulled up, staring at the holoscreen floating in front of him. The black veins have completely taken over his chest and have started creeping up his arms and neck. As Pepper gets closer, she see that the screen is displaying Tony’s current blood tox level: 53%.

Dummy whirs past her and chirps at Tony, holding out the cigar box. Tony quickly changed the cartridge, tossing the smoking one into a bucket near his desk that is full to the brim with cartridges in similar condition.

“I guess it was a good idea that you cancelled the trip to Monaco,” Pepper says as Tony pulls his shirt back down. “Although the press is starting to get suspicious due to the fact that you haven’t left your house since the opening ceremony.”

Tony just shrugs, giving Dummy a brief pat before sitting down at his desk. “Honestly, I could care less what the press thinks. Right now I’m just trying to continue living.”

Pepper propped her hip against his desk. “Maybe S.H.I.E.L.D. could help? I could call Coulson, or Fury…”

Tony just glares.

“What about Rhodey? Are you ever going to tell him?”

He just shook his head, face closed off. Conversation over. As Pepper leaves, she hears him mutter, “Hopefully I won’t have to.”

Around 11 that night, Pepper is just closing her laptop when JARVIS blinks the lights in the living room.

“Miss Potts, it is past time for Mr. Stark to change his cartridge and I cannot awaken him. His heart rate is accelerated and his breathing is shallow.”

Pepper raced downstairs to find Tony slumped over his desk, alarms blaring. Dummy was poking Tony in the side and giving a chirping wail.

Pepper leaned Tony back in his chair, his lead lolling. She ripped open his shirt and gently opened and removed the arc reactor. It spit out the smoking cartridge and Pepper flings it into the bucket before she can burn her fingertips. Dummy helpfully offers up the cigar box, so she quickly grabbed a fresh cartridge and inserted it into the reactor. As soon as it slides in, Tony’s eyes fly open and he takes a deep gasping breath. His eyes roam wildly until they focus on Pepper’s face. He relaxes back into his chair and tries to catch his breath.

His eyes flick down to his chest. “If this is what it takes to get you to undress me, I would have done it years ago.”

Pepper smacks him upside the head, her eyes filling with tears. “You promised me that I would never have to do that again-mmmff.”

Tony pulled her lips down to his, cutting off her tirade. “Damn, I’ve wanted to that for the longest time. Better late than never, I suppose.”

Pepper extracted herself from Tony’s grip, a watery smile on her face. “JARVIS, how are Tony’s vitals?”

“Mr. Stark’s heart rate and breathing have stabilized, but I recommend bringing an extra cartridge upstairs with you, sir.”

“JARVIS,” Tony asked as Pepper hauled him to his feet, “would you recommend having a human present throughout the night to monitor my condition?”

Pepper rolled her eyes and pushed Tony up the stairs. JARVIS has wisely chosen not to reply.

When she has Tony shoved into the shower, Pepper pulls out her phone.

“JARVIS, call Phil Coulson.”

 


	6. Impossible

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! ~Stef

Pepper was sitting in her office at Stark Industries at 10 am the next day when there was a knock on her door.

“Come in.”

A petite woman with dark red hair entered the room. “Hi, Miss Potts. I’m Natalie Rushman, your new assistant.”

Since Pepper was unofficially running Tony’s company, she decided that she could probably use an assistant. If anyone in HR thought that Tony Stark’s PA asking for a PA was strange, she hadn’t heard.

“Good to meet you, Miss Rushman.”

“Please, it’s Natalie.” They shook hands.

“Actually, I was about to head over to Tony’s house to have him sign some papers.”

In actuality, she was going to make sure that Tony was ok and had eaten lunch and had changed his cartridges. God, taking care of Tony was tiring.

“Do you mind if I tag along? It’s not every day a girl gets to meet a billionaire genius superhero.”

Pepper rolled her eyes as she and Natalie headed down to the entrance of the building. “Just wait until you actually meet him. Your opinion might change.”

When they finally arrived at Tony’s mansion, Pepper is her car and Natalie in hers, it is nearly 11.

“Welcome home, Miss Potts,” replied JARVIS. Natalie jumped.

Pepper waved a hand at the ceiling. “That’s Tony’s AI butler, JARVIS. He runs the house. JARVIS, say hello to Natalie Rushman, my new assistant.”

“Pleased to meet your acquaintance, Miss Rushman. Miss Potts, I have alerted Mr. Stark to your presence. He requests ‘nourishment and chlorophyll’. His words, not mine.”

Pepper silently thanked JARVIS for telling Tony that she was not alone, allowing Tony to hopefully hide his condition and research.

“Are you hungry, Natalie?” Pepper asked as she headed to the kitchen, pulling out meat and cheese for Tony’s sandwich.

“Actually, I left my lunch and my briefcase in my car. I’ll be right back.”

Pepper heard her murmur to JARVIS, then slip out the front door. Pepper finished the sandwich and grabbed a bottle of premade chlorophyll from the fridge. She heard the front door open and close, and Natalie appeared in the kitchen doorway, carrying a large metal case.

Pepper led the way down to Tony’s lab. As she entered, she is relieved to see Tony working on the Mark 4 suit. He was wearing a black turtle neck that hid both the black veins on his throat and arms, as well as the glow of the arc reactor.

He looked up from the chest plate he was working on. “Hey Pep. I see you brought a friend.”

He wiped his greasy hands on the thighs of his jeans and walked over, hand extended. “Hi, I’m Tony Stark.”

Natalie returned the handshake. “I’m Natalie Rushman, Miss Potts’ new PA.” She glanced around the workshop. “So this is where the genius happens?”

Tony grinned, turning around the glance at his shop. Pepper watched in slow motion as her new assistant whipped out a syringe of blue liquid and jabbed it into Tony’s neck, pushing the plunger all the way down.

“What the fuck?” Both Tony and Pepper freeze as Natalie pulls the collar of Tony’s shirt down. They all watch as the black in Tony’s veins recedes.

Natalie stepped back, tossing the spent needle into the trash can next to Tony’s desk. “That was lithium dioxide, courtesy of Director Fury.”

Tony glared at Pepper, but at this point, despite not knowing what Natalie would do, Pepper was glad that she had called Agent Coulson.

Natalie walked over to the metal case that she had dropped by the door. She tipped it over and slid it across the concrete floor to Tony, who stopped it with his foot.

“That lithium dioxide is only a temporary fix, Stark. That case contains everything your father created on arc reactor technology: blueprints, videos, and the like. Fury thinks that this should help you in your currently dead end search to save your life.”

Pepper peered down at the metal case. It had a sticker on it that read ‘Property of Howard Stark’. She wondered how she had missed that before.

Tony turned his glare to Natalie. “Who are you really?”

“My name is Natasha Romanov, codename Black Widow. I am a veteran S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. I shall remain under the guise of Miss Potts’ assistant so that I can monitor your health.” She walked to the door. “I need to call Director Fury; please excuse me.”

Tony poked at the case with his toe, then rounded on Pepper. “Why did you have to involve them?” He whined.

Pepper crossed her arms over here chest and propped her hips up against Tony’s desk. “Tony, you are stuck. I want you to live. You want you to live. I thought they could help. And they clearly can. I can see that you feel much better. JARVIS, what are Tony’s palladium levels?”

“Mr. Stark’s current palladium level is 40%. But as Miss Romanov pointed out, the lithium dioxide is only a temporary fix. Mr. Stark, your father created arc reactor technology. Surely it cannot hurt to look through that case.”

“Who’s side are you on?” Tony grumbled. He dragged the case over to the couch and popped it open.

“Would you like some help?”

“I could use a good luck kiss.”

Pepper snorted, but complied. “I’ll be upstairs if you need me.”

 

Several hours later, Pepper heard a shout from downstairs. She set her laptop down and rushed down to the workshop. She found Tony sitting in the middle of a glowing holoball that is moving around him. A look of joy graces his face, making him look years younger.

“Pepper, I did it! My dad left me the clues! He discovered a new element a long time ago, but he didn’t have the technology to produce it. So he left it for me.”

JARVIS spoke up. “This new element is a viable substitute core. Unfortunately, it is impossible to synthesize.”

Tony grinned. ‘Impossible’ was not a word in his vocabulary.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Zofran is an antinausea/antiemetic.


End file.
